Prescription patterns of oral antidiabetic agents in management of T2DM by doctors in Punjab

Prevalence T2DM has been exponentially increasing worldwide. Prescription patterns are of immense importance to study and promote rational use of anti-diabetic agents. The present study was conducted to evaluate the drug utilisation prescription pattern of oral anti-diabetic drugs in Punjab.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the drug utilisation prescription pattern of oral anti-diabetic drugs in Punjab.

In a cross-sectional, prospective, observational study all prescriptions of T2DM patients on oral medications were studied for class and combination anti-diabetic drug treatment and doctors qualification. Results were analysed by descriptive statistics of percentages.

Patient prescription data consisted of 1613 valid prescriptions, 19.3% by MBBS doctors, 44.6% by MD doctors, and 36.1% by DM doctors. Metformin was most prescribed by 71.6% of doctors, sulfonylureas by 57.8% doctors, DDP-4i by 37.6%, SGLT2i by 22.1%, AGIs by 9.8%, and least was 6.4% TZDs. Results show an increasing trend from MBBS doctors to MD doctors and maximum by DM doctors of prescribing TZDs, DPP-4i, AGIs, and SGLT2i, whereas MBBS doctors mostly prescribed metformin (76.2%), followed by DM doctors (75.6%), and metformin was least prescribed by MD doctors (66.3%). Similarly, MBBS doctors mostly prescribed sulfonylureas (92.9%), followed by MD doctors (53.7%), and least by DM doctors (44.3%).

The present study shows that prescription pattern vary among MBBS, MD, and DM doctors which necessitates the education of all health care professionals for standard guidelines for management of T2DM so that a uniform prescription pattern is achieved in pursuit of effective control of DM and its complications.